1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coupling device comprising a first connector part and a second connector part, each connector part comprising at least one connecting portion for engagement with at least one corresponding connecting portion of the other connector part, a disengagement means being provided for at least assisting in disengaging the engagement between said connecting portions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Disabled persons, such as persons having a spinal cord injury or spina bifida or MS, with limited limb movement can often not perform their normal bowel function without the need for outside aids. Examples of such aids are drugs, digital stimulation, massage or colonic irrigation. Disabled persons are often unable to perform these procedures without help from another person.
One irrigation system is the arrangement disclosed in Applicant's Danish application No. PA 2002 01096, in which a reservoir is filled with irrigating liquid to a predetermined level. The reservoir is formed as a substantially sealed container and is connected with a probe for arrangement in a user by means of a conduit means.
The probe comprises a shaft portion and a fixation member for fixation in rectum in the form of an inflatable cuff. The inflatable cuff is connected with a tube for conducting an inflating medium to the cuff. The other end of the first part of the conduit means is connected with a control unit.
Generally, irrigation is carried out by inflating the cuff in order to secure the probe in position in the user, sealing against leakage, and subsequently feeding irrigating liquid from the reservoir through a tube to the probe by means of a pump.
Portability of equipment is extremely important to the user and this irrigation system may readily be transported by disabled persons. However, easy preparation of the irrigation system is also of great importance to such persons if they are to be able to use the irrigation system without aid from an assisting person.
In the irrigation system described above, the disposable probe is to be used once and subsequently discarded. Therefore, the user must connect and disconnect the probe from the two tubes leading to the control unit each time he or she uses the irrigation system. The irrigation system may e.g. be provided with two luer type connectors such as the luer locks disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,428,515 and 5,620,427 connecting the probe with the tubes leading to the control unit.
The male luer lock connector of a single luer lock is traditionally inserted into the female luer lock connector by pressing them together and is removed by pulling and rotating the connectors in opposite directions in a wriggling motion. Disconnection by just pulling the connectors in opposite directions is normally difficult to a non-disabled person, respectively extremely difficult to a disabled person.
Therefore, as is well known in the art, an engagement means in the form of a nut or a sleeve as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,427 is mounted on the male luer connector, the engagement means being threaded on a corresponding engagement means disposed on the female luer lock connector, thereby enabling disconnection of the male luer lock connector from the female luer lock connector through a rotating operation that requires less strength and is more manageable than pulling the parts in opposite directions. Also, use of such engagement means facilitates connecting the luer lock connectors. Thus, by use of this method a disabled person is more likely to readily be able to connect/disconnect the probe from the tubes leading to the control unit.
However, when two tubes are arranged with small spacing as is the case in the present irrigation system, neither of the two above mentioned connecting/disconnecting methods are applicable since individual rotation of the tubes is not possible. The remaining option is to pull the connectors in opposite directions (though a small amount of wriggling could be possible) and thus, for a disabled person it is extremely difficult to connect and especially disconnect the two luer lock connectors.
From U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,632 is disclosed a multiple tubes coupling system, comprising two parts to be connected, and a ring for securing the two parts to each other's. The ring may also ease disconnection. The two parts are in the form of cylindrical portions with teeth for engaging with the ring on the surface of the portions. However, the presence of these teeth on the outer surface of the portions makes the coupling rather bulky, as well as the teeth may cling to clothes etc.
In the field of medical couplings it is often desired to have the coupling as compact as possible. However, the size of the coupling is usually dictated by the size and amount of tubes to be connected, as well as the means for connection often take up place too.
Thus, there is still a need for a coupling device having a minimum size and being easy to use.